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Re: Manby

Originally Posted by jpg1982

Interesting day at Manby. Current ground works on site for the new Covenham to Boston water pipe line have uncovered two ww2 bombs at the west end of the site between where the old dispersal sites were, which are now farmed fields. Police have been babysitting the site since 12pm today untill the bomb disposal team arrives tomorrow to deal with them. Will keep you posted of any other news.

Re: Manby

it was a lot of fuss over nothing really. There were lots of reports of site evacuations etc but the first we new about it was when i saw a cop car on the site. It was over a mile from our office so there was no call for evacuation. Felt sorry for the pcso who had to sit on the airfield on there own all night though.

Re: Manby

One of my passengers today was a 92 year old gentleman. we were chatting about Airfields and he told me how during WW2 he was based at Manby and would be on lookout for enemy aircraft from the top of the Water Tower. He recalled that the view was amazing what with being so close to the coast, though he did feel very vunerable up there.

Re: Manby

wellington crash.jpg
My father was an AG instructor at Manby during the war and also Armament Officer at Pembrey before returning to Manby in that role. He also did a post war stint (1953) there as education officer. Photo is dated 4/12/44 ( though possibly a few days earlier). he went as a passenger a "jolly" to Hatfield to collect some spares, on the way out one of the engines cut and they carried on to Hatfield where it was fixed. As they came in to Manby the other engine cut and they clipped the trees, an engine came adrift and hit the house in the background killing either a pregnant woman or woman & child. Can anyone clarify that?
We lived in OMQs that were prefabs just outside the camp but very close to one of the hangars. Any one know where they were ?

Re: Manby

Thanks for that and the pictures, pity Dad's not around to see them. I think the prefabs were out of the camp, and looking at Old Maps possibly between Grove Fm & Aerodrome Fm and now called Fury Close etc. I remember a roadway along the edge of the estate, then a gate and fence and then hangars but I was only 3 or 4 at the time

Re: Manby

AIR10/4038 (1942) states storage for 750,000 rounds of SAA and (just) 9 tons of bombs. The former fits in with it being the Air Armament School, but it also taught bomb aimers and armourers. Were practice bombs included as part of the 'nine tons' ?